The day that you hear you child say they are “too dumb,” “too stupid,” or is “not good enough” really pulls on a parent’s heartstrings. Or maybe your child is not as vocal but is instead getting stomach aches whenever he or she has to go to school or do a certain activity. As a parent, you want to protect your children from anything that could hurt them but we can easily overlook how difficult it is to protect them from the negative self talk, both external and internal, that they may say to themselves.
Our first reaction is “why would they think that?!” Of course, we know how smart and talented our children are so it can be quite a shock to hear them say the opposite of what we know to be true.
Our next step might be to figure out where they learned it from. Did they hear it at home? Or maybe at a friend’s house? Are they being bullied? Maybe they saw it on tv? In a video game? And more – we hit that mental checklist because, as parents, we want to find the problem and eliminate it immediately.
These are all GREAT starting steps! It’s important that we communicate with our kids to get to the root of what is causing them to be anxious or vocalize that negative self talk. We might not always be able to remove them from what is causing them to feel that way but, through communication, we can better help them to learn to problem solve ways that can help them think more positively about themselves and in turn, help to overcome the anxious feelings. After all, anxiety and negative self talk are not just childhood problems. Millions of adults battle these issues daily too!
This is where learning karate can help!!
Karate classes teach CONFIDENCE!
There is no stance, move or form in karate where students are slumped over. Studies have shown that keeping backs straight, heads up and shoulders high send those positive neurotransmitters straight to the brain for an immediate boost of confidence. Additionally, we teach our students the power of a karate yell which gives us an additional boost of strength and confidence. Just imagine your kiddo yelling, “Kiya!” as they punch through a board and smile they will have on their face afterwards because they did it!
Karate classes teach RESPECT!
It’s not uncommon to see a karate student enter their dojo and training area with a bow. In our Western culture, it may even feel weird or silly to learn to bow to our instructors and even other students. It’s certainly not something we commonly do at home or in our other activities. But we do this to show respect for what we are learning to accomplish along with those who are helping us to get there. Through this show of respect to others, we also earn respect and therefore learn that we are worthy of being respected.
Karate classes teaches ANTI-BULLYING!
We learn to fight but we also learn that fighting is a last resort so we learn techniques and skills to help us stay safe and avoid a fight. Through practice and repetition, these skills become second nature. We refuse to be bullies and we stand up for our friends when they need help too!
Karate classes teach COURAGE!
It can be difficult to step out from the crowd in any situation, whether it’s to give a speech or perform in an activity. Our students step out of their comfort zones in varying degrees – from one on one practice with other students, performing in groups during class, to performing solo in karate tournaments – and get comfortable with being the BEST karate students. Before they know it, nervous jitters become excitement and they can’t wait to show off what they’ve learned!
Try karate classes for your child, or even try them for yourself! All of the above benefits work on adults too!!